Werewolf
The werewolf is a lycanthrope different from an animagus or basic transfiguration: an animagus is able to retain their thoughts and are powered by standard magic (though some less educated people in the world may accuse a wolf animagus of being a werewolf). Indeed, the very meaning of the word as it may be translated is "wolf-human," so it is easy to see where there would be confusion. A werewolf is far more than an animal shapeshift: it is a magically 'cursed' transformation tied often to the night or phases of the moon, granting greater-than-natural speed, endurance, magical resistance, and strength; sometimes these traits carry over to the human form as well. Werewolves cannot choose whether or not they transform, and when changed, they are as if another creature: no memory of who they were, and actively hunting whatever sentient humanoid creature it can reach. Becoming a Werewolf There are numerous ways in which one may become a werewolf. The primary methods include: * Diseased bite: the "modern" lore method of contracting lycanthropy is by surviving an attack from one. The transfer of the curse/disease/possession occurs by saliva of a transformed werewolf entering the victim's bloodstream. * Birth: children born of werewolf mothers may develop lycanthropy owing to the transfusion of blood and nutrients (or curses) through the womb. They may be born to human OR wolf mothers. Some manifest as babies, while others may not manifest until puberty. * Magical Curse: throughout much of history are accounts of magic causing someone to become a werewolf. In most cultures this was a punishment, though in some, it was an intentional self-sacrifice to protect a village from enemies or become a better, albeit berserk, soldier. Such werewolves may change once a week, once a year, or even every night, if not a permanent transformation altogether. * Possession: some theories suggest a werewolf is actually possessed by an otherworldly shadow-monster during the full moon, causing their loss of control and monstrous form. It may be caused by a bite or a curse of some kind, or a connection passed through birth. Some legends link it with the shadow-wolves who "consume the sun or moon" during an eclipse. Appearance All lycanthropes have at least two forms: their "normal" form, and their "shapeshifted" form. Some will also have hybrid forms between these two shapes, but they are rarer and usually a result of much training. In their non-wolf form, they look nothing different from any other human (or other base creature). An unconscious or dead werewolf usually returns to this native form, if they were born as human. A few may have a telling oddity to their features, such as golden eyes. In their wolf form, there a discrepancy in most records on whether the wolf appears like a "normal" wolf (like an animagus would), or if there are telling features, like a "shorter snout and tufted tail," or a "dire wolf" appearance. Some wolves may not have tails owing to a faulty transformation. It is common for a werewolf to retain their human eye color, though the eyes are still that of a wolf's in all other regards. The human-wolf hybrid form(s) may occur as an additional or alternate form, varying upon the curse and origin. A werewolf assuming the "Crinos form" would display gigantic fangs and horrific claw; long, powerful arms; thick skin and bones; heavy fur; and a large wolf-tail for balance and body language. Its awful mouth can barely speak human words, though it can bay and howl with deafening eloquence. Near-human: a partial-shift that is more human than not, larger than normal, hairier, and stronger. It has too many bestial features to be human and stands out in this form. Near-wolf: a partial-shift that is almost a standard wolf, but larger than normal, perhaps 3 to 5 feet at the shoulder. This is a "Dire Wolf" form. Food In most cases, a werewolf has as much choice in its usual diet as any other human, though will have cravings for rare or raw meat particularly around the full moon. Some may claim it causes cannibalism, but that is suspected to be an excuse rather than a cause. The Magical World The magical world's view on werewolves varies widely depending on where you live, and even in areas with laws protecting werewolves as people, you can still find a lot of cultural stigma and fear, to the point of making them outcasts or even executed by mobs whether they did anything wrong or not. Werewolves are often blamed -- sometimes rightly, other times unjustly -- for murders or accidental deaths, loss of livestock, or even illness and bad harvests (superstition and fear don't rely on logic!). As such, many werewolves chose to hide their affliction. Unfortunately, doing so often serves to increase the number of accidents, as they are limited in their options for a safe place during a full moon. Abilities Werewolves have innate magical resistance owing to becoming a magical beast. When shapeshifted they often have increased speed, stamina, and strength, even beyond the normal wolf; sometimes these traits carry over to the human form. With the waxing and waning of the moon, the werewolf in human form may develop more wolf-like traits, including dietary cravings, increased hearing, and sense of smell. Other abilities include faster healing and regrowth of limbs, owing to the transformation magic. All bites and attacks made by a transformed werewolf are innately (usually) cursed with dark magic, leaving permanent scars. Many werewolves have a weakness to silver, however. With the waxing and waning of the moon, a werewolf nearing transformation often has difficulty controlling their emotions. They are also a danger to friends, family, livestock, and innocent bystanders, as when they shapeshift, they enter a berserking rage: most seek human prey, and if contained, have been known to accidentally injure themselves in their efforts to escape, all damages that the human within has to endure upon waking (chewed-off limbs from chains, etc). These injuries are also sometimes inflicted out of frustration for having nothing else to hunt or distract it. Some werewolves are extremely weakened and sickly in human form, as their body cannot handle the strain and stress. Much of this can be attributed to how accepting the person is of their transformations: fear, and chaining oneself up, is extremely detrimental to the werewolf's human health. Spells you can take to replicate these abilities include: * Regeneration (level 2 and level 5 healing spells) * Barkskin or Blur (level 2 +AC spell to "resist"), and Deflection (level 2 and level 4) * Minor Haste (level 2, grants increased movement speed) and Hastened Freedom * Shapeshift (with increases to speed, AC, and attack) * Clear-Sight (level 3, to replicate sense of smell) Society The key to surviving in a human community is maintaining a safe place to "wolf out." Some werewolves treat it like a disease that must be quarantined, others view it as a gift that simply must be directed against the right enemy - or abused, as criminals. The most ideal situation is to have secure grounds that one can safely berserk in overnight, though containing a rampaging werewolf in a "zoo" or even a large magical sanctuary is not without its accidents, as the werewolf-curse prefers to hunt sentient prey. Most werewolves will not attack your typical animal, which means that animal-shapeshifting mages can -- in most cases -- be safe companions of a rampaging werewolf, or a good way to escape a werewolf's attack. Wolfsbane potion Wolfsbane potion ideally allows a werewolf to maintain their own mind while shapeshifted, reducing the risk of self-injury. However, Wolfsbane is itself poisonous and thus has its own sickening side effects on the user's health, and in some cases, doesn't even work on some people, perhaps depending on their type of lycanthropy. It tastes disgusting and is very complicated to make. Snitchitus is a distraction spell through use of a charmed snitch that causes the werewolf to chase the item (often a snitch) rather than a human or sentient creature. This is a higher-level mix of a dazzlement charm and a divination spell which confers some sense of sentience to the item, encapturing the werewolf's attention. The spell is often short-lived, however, without someone actively channeling it, which is difficult as it requires line-of-sight and the snitch to stay in range. Communities Some werewolves have formed their own communities, either living as outlaws or trying to work as an enclave on a magical sanctuary under the government's control. Some few are rumored to live in communities in the Ethereal Realm or Spirit World (not the fae realm, but the world of magic and spirit energy that overlays earth), called the Garou, who view themselves to be "the earth's claws and fangs" as protectors of nature. There are some safe havens for werewolves in remote villages where everyone is a lycanthrope, or among powerful mages who can offer security and a job in trade for work. These jobs can include (but are not limited to) trackers, wildlife management, guards, law enforcement, gardeners, and craftsmen. Other groups' opinions * Non-mages are mostly convinced that werewolves are myths. * Vampires mostly regard werewolves as feral, chaotic beasts, and threats to themselves as the two species are traditionally hostile to each other. * Fae creatures often find them fascinating, seeing werewolves as being akin to changelings, humans who have been awakened to otherworldly powers. That is not to say they always have cordial relations, of course, owing to the nature of a werewolf and the variety of fae that there are. Category:Species